Baltimore Ravens' Kicker

Distracted Before Botched

Field Goal Attempt

1/23/2012 11:06 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Billy Cundiff -- the Baltimore Ravens' kicker who botched the kick that could have kept the team's Super Bowl dream alive -- was distracted before his field goal attempt ... to the point that coaches were yelling at him.

Two players on the team have spoken with TMZ -- one of whom says he witnessed the confrontation and another who did not witness it but says it is being widely discussed among Ravens players.

Our sources say ... immediately before Cundiff attempted the game-tying FG, he was doing what he was supposed to do -- practicing kicking on the sidelines. But as the Ravens marched down the field, Cundiff was unaware that his time to kick was looming.

It's S.O.P. for kickers to walk toward the field when the time approaches for them to kick -- ready to run into the game.

According to our sources, coaches repeatedly called for Cundiff -- at least 6 times -- to no avail -- he wasn't responding. We're told the coaches became "furious" because Cundiff wasn't ready to go.

Our sources say players and coaches are saying Cundiff was distracted ... not paying attention and not ready to immediately execute a kick.

As for how the team reacted to the botched attempt, we're told players were gracious. As one player put it, "We didn't give him a hard time because he looked like he was ready to kill himself."

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